Russian President Putin flies supersonic strategic bomber

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) – Russian President Vladimir Putin donned a pilot dress and took the pilot seat of a Tu-160M hi-tech supersonic strategic bomber fighter jet on Thursday to personally check the quality of its modernization.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Russia's southwestern city of Kazan that the head of state arrived on the runway of the Kazan Aviation Plant dressed as a pilot and took the pilot's seat.

"The flight will last some 40 minutes. The route of the flight is a state secret," Peskov said.

Tu-160m is a supersonic, variable-sweep wing heavy strategic bomber, called in Russia "White Swan," in NATO -- "Blackjack," it is designed to hit targets in remote areas with nuclear and conventional weapons.

Tu-160m strategic bomber is the largest supersonic aircraft in the history of military aviation and the heaviest combat aircraft in the world.

Putin has already flown several military planes, including fighter jets. Moreover, he has already flown the previous model of the Tu-160 bomber in August 2005.